An Indian national working with the United Nations was killed in Gaza on Monday after the vehicle he was travelling in was attacked in the Rafah city, The Washington Post reported.
The worker was identified as 46-year-old Waibhav Anil Kale, the newspaper reported quoting unidentified officials. Kale was a member of the United Nations’ Department of Safety and Security and had begun working in Gaza in April.
It was not clear who fired at the vehicle, The Washington Post reported. Another United Nations official was also injured in the incident.
The attack on Monday took place as the United Nations’ vehicle that Kale was travelling in was fired at while it moved from Rafah, which is located in the southern part of the besieged Palestinian territory, to the European Hospital in the city of Khan Younis.
Kale is the first international casualty from the organisation since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October. According to PTI, he was previously with the Indian Army.
Israel’s war on Gaza began after Palestinian militant group Hamas’ incursion into southern Israel on October 7 that killed 1,200 people. The militant group had also taken over 200 people hostage.
Since October, Israel has been carrying out unprecedented air and ground strikes on Gaza. The attacks have killed more than 35,500 people, including over 14,500 children.
On Monday, a statement issued by the United Nations said that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was “deeply saddened” to learn about the death of the Department of Safety and Security worker and the injury of another staffer.
“The Secretary-General condemns all attacks on UN [United Nations] personnel and calls for a full investigation,” Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesperson for the secretary-general, said. “He [Guterres] sends his condolences to the family of the fallen staff member.”
Haq added: “With the conflict in Gaza continuing to take a heavy toll – not only on civilians, but also on humanitarian workers – the Secretary-General reiterates his urgent appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and for the release of all hostages.”
Guterres also condemned the attack on social media and reiterated his call for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire & the release of all hostages”.
“More than 190 UN staff have been killed in Gaza,” he said. “Humanitarian workers must be protected.”
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also said that he was devasted to learn about the death of the United Nations worker and the injury of another personnel. He too called for a ceasefire.
“Too many civilian and humanitarian lives have paid the price for this war,” he said on social media.
On Saturday, Israel issued fresh evacuation orders in Rafah, forcing several displaced Palestinians to move elsewhere.
The order came amid the Israeli military’s preparations for a full ground invasion of the city, where over 1 million Palestinians have fled amid the war on Gaza.
Rafah was considered the last refuge for Palestinians in Gaza. It was also the main point of entry for fuel before the Israeli military captured the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing with Egypt.
The evacuations are now forcing Palestinians to return to the north of Gaza which has been destroyed due to attacks by the Israeli military.
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